Conveyance loader



Sept. 24, 1968 A. G. SEIPOS CONVEYANCE LOADER Original Filed Sept. 27,1965 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ANDREW s. SEtPOS ATTORNEYS Sept. 24, 1968A. e. sslPos- CONVEYANCE LOADER Original Filed Sept. 27, 1965 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ANDREW G. SIEIPOS ATTORNEYS Sept.124, 1968 A. G.SEIPOS CONVEYANCE LOADER Original Filed Sept. 27, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5INVENTOR ANDREW G. SEIPDS ATTORNEYS United States Patent ice 3,402,412CONVEYANCE LGADER Andrew G. Seipos, Miami, Fla, assignor, by mcsneassignments, to Wollard Aircraft Equipment, Inc., Miami, Fla., acorporation of Washington Continuation of application Ser. No. 490,202,Sept. 27, 1965. This application July 27, 1967, Ser. No. 656,596 6Claims. (Cl. 14-71) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE Vestibule curtain reelingsystem for conveyance loaders in which swinging movement of the loadercauses an unreeling of a curtain section from either one of two curtainreels, the two reels being interconnected so that the unreeling actionof one reel is utilized to cause reeling action of the other reel, themeans interconnecting the two reels comprising an inextensible cable andcable reeling and unreeling means, the latter forming spiralconvolutions of the cable to cause the curtains to be reeled andunreeled at equal linear speeds and in which a deflecting force on theinextensible cable acts as a compensator for ironing out departures fromexact complementary relationship in the reels and places the desiredtension on the curtains.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 490,202,filed Sept. 27, 1965, now abandoned.

This invention relates to double curtain reeling systems in which tworelated curtain portions are reeled and unreeled at equal linear curtainspeeds.

The invention will be described in the environment of conveyance loadersbecause a practical problem has been presented in the past in respect tovestibule curtain operation in these structures; however, the inventionis equally applicable to other environments.

A general example of the conveyance loader, specifically for aircraft,in the prior art which requires the use of vestibule curtains is thatdisclosed in Der Yuen et al. Patent 3,060,471, in which aircraftvestibule 17 and terminal vestibule 18 must include flexible curtainstructures, for example as shown at 40, for the terminal vestibule. Itis apparent from an inspection of FIGURE 6 of this patent that thepivotal movement of the loader in a horizontal plane on turntable 27requires the reeling and unreeling of the curtain portions 30 on curtaindrums '72.

Similar examples of conveyance loader vestibule curtain reelingenvironments are illustrated in copending patent applications Ser. Nos.326,794, now Patent No. 3,263,253 and 326,795 now Patent No. 3,263,254,filed Nov. 29, 1963, by Joseph C. Wollard, John S. Slaney and Lester L.Preiss. It has been found in the case of these latter curtain reelingsystems that springs strong enough to hold the curtain taut duringreeling and unreeling must involve auxiliary equipment of uneconomicconstruction. Heavy counterwei-ghts were found to have similar faults.Of course separate synchronized power operated motors for reeling eachcurtain would be out of the question economically.

The present invention is a simple, eifective and economical system forreeling and unreeling curtain portions while imposing satisfactorytension on the curtain portions being reeled and unreeled. This isaccomplished in accordance with the present invention 'by mechanicallyinterconnecting the curtain portion winding and unwinding drums or reelsso that the rotational speed of one drum increases as the rotationalspeed of the other drum decreases to accommodate for the succeedingconvolutions of curtain portions to a degree such as to maintain thelinear curtain speed the same in both portions. In order to achive thesatisfactory degree of tautness in the curtains being reeled and3,402,412 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 unreeled, the interconnectingmechanical means may be acted upon by a force which is controlled withinthe limits necessary to attain the desired tension on the curtainportions.

A full understanding of the present invention will be obtainable fromthe following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the same,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of conveyance loaderincorporating the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial view in horizontal section of the terminal end ofthe loader of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatical view of a curtain portion reeling andunreeling system in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view partly in section of a curtainportion reeling drum construction embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a partial side elevational view with parts broken away of asecond curtain portion reeling drum companion to that of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a view in section taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatical view illustrating an adjusting operation;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the spiral pulley incorporated in the presentinvention with the cover plate partially broken away;

FIGURE 9 is a view in side elevation of the spiral pulley of FIGURE 8;and

FIGURE 10 is an exploded view of the spiral pulley of FIGURE 8.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, the horizontally swingable section of theloader is indicated generally by reference numeral 10. This section ofthe loader is movable in a horizontal plane around a pivot supported bypedestal 12. This necessitates the presence of a transition vestibule 14which will join the moving section of the loader with the shortstationary passageway 16 which remains fixed to the terminal building18. Vestibule 14 has a roof portion 20 and a fioor portion 21 which arenot illustrated in de tail since they form no part of the inventionexcept insofar as they coact with curtain portions 22 and 24 to maintainthe curved shape of the curtain portions and give a weather tightconstruction. Curtain portions 22 and 24 are constructed in any desiredmanner so as to be rigid vertically but flexible horizontally. Thus, bycontacting elements of the roof 20 and floor 22 with the internalsurfaces of their extremities, curtain portions 22 and 24 are held inthe curved configuration illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Curtain portion 22 has an end 26 attached to the terminal passagewaysection and curtain portion 24 has an end 28 similarly attached to theterminal passageway section. Since hinged floor plate 30 at the terminalpassageway section and hinged floor plate 32 at the swingable loaderpassageway section of the vestibule cover the juncture of rotatablefloor 21 and these respective passageway sections and since a portion ofvestibule roof 20 overhangs this entire vestibule structure, aweathertight construction is readily achieved.

A loader passageway section 10 swings counterclockwise in a horizontalplane around pivot point 34 of pedestal 12, it will be evident thatcurtain portion 22 must be reeled on curtain drum 36 while curtainportion 24 is unreeled from curtain drum 38. As a result, the increasingnumber of convolutions of curtain portion 22 on curtain drum 36 increaseits diameter and the reverse action takes place with respect to curtainportion 24 convolutions on curtain drum 38. As pointed out above,rotating curtain drums 36 and 38 so as to take up the associated curtainportions with the desired degree of tautness has presented real economicproblems.

Applicant has conceived the idea of utilizing the unreeling action ofone drum to drive the other drum by direct mechanical connection. Thishe has sought to accomplish through the medium of the very simplestmechanical expedient, namely in the preferred embodiment, a flexible,inextensible cable means but this in turn has been made effective onlyby the ingenious utilization of a pair of cone-shaped or spiral pulleys.By utilizing identical spiral pulleys but arranging them in oppositelyfacing directions applicant has made it possible for the cable means toapproach and leave each pulley in a plane substantially normal to theaxis of the pulley and this facilitates orderly reeling and unreeling ofthe cable and effects other mechanical advantages. Finally, toaccommodate the Inextensible cable means to the mechanical problems ofthe environment, applicant has provided for a controllable increase ordecrease in the length of the cable effective between the two pulleys toan extent which will determine the degree of tautness placed upon thecurtain portions.

The general combination of operative components of applicants inventivecombination shown in plan view in FIGURE 2 are schematically illustratedperspectively in FIGURE 3 where the curtain portions 22 and 24 are shownpartially Wrapped on each of the curtain portion reeling drums 36 and 38so as to result approximately in the curtain-to-vestibule relationshipillustrated in FIGURE 2. In this combination, curtain portion reelingdrum 36 is connected by a shaft 40 to a truncated cone device indicatedgenerally at 42 having a spiral i groove 43 and curtain portion reelingdrum 38 is rotatively connected by a shaft 44 with a similar butinverted truncated cone structure indicated generally at 46 having aspiral groove 47. An inextensible steel cable has one end connected nearthe base of cone element 42 and its other end connected near the base ofcone element 46. Of course, in the latter case, the base of the coneelement is disposed upwardly. Inextensible cable 48 has a substantiallyequal numberof spiral convolutiohs Wrapped varound the respective baseportions of cones 42 and 46 in FIGURE 3 since the curtain portions 22and 24 are about equally extended. As indicated in both FIGURES 2 and 3,to apply the desired degree of tauntness to the curtain portions, cable48 runs through idler pulley 50 which is urged by a tension spring 52toward a bracket '54 on the supporting framework of floor 21. The forceexerted by spring 52 on cable 48 is controlled by threaded member 55adjustably held in an opening in bracket 54 by coacting lock nuts 56.Diverting cable 48 from the straight line path it would otherwise followbetween cones 42 and 46 insures that the curtain portions 22 and 24 areheld and Wound with the desired tautness on their respective drums byvirtue of the stationary connections of ends 26 and 28 of the curtainportions. It will be apparent from an inspection of FIGURE 3 that thedegree of tautness is substantially the same for each curtain sectionand remains substantially the same throughout the reeling and unreelingoperations. As pointed out below, cable diversion element 50 and forceexerting member 52 have a further function in one practical embodimentof the invention.

Since each succeeding convolution of curtain portion reeled on onereeling drum and unreeled from the other reeling drum increases inlength the first case and decreases in length in the second, the grooves43 and 47 must proportionately increase and decrease in length perrevolution in the cable unwinding and winding directions, respectively,and this accounts for the precisely designed, reversed spiral paths ofthese grooves.

Although a spirally grooved truncated cone, such as cones 42 and 46, isa satisfactory instrumentality in applicants combination, a moresatisfactory commercial device can be utilized, which is the subjectmatter of copending patent application Ser. No. 486,659, filed Sept. 27,1965, by William M. Riggles and this more practical device will bebriefly described herein as an element of applicants combination, betterto illustrate the preferred embodiment of applicants combination and toshow the effectiveness of cable diverting means 50, 52, 54 in acommercial environment.

FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate in more detail the curtain portion reelingdrums 36 and 38 wherein in each case a shaft 56 in upper and lowerroller bearings 58, 60, respectively, is mounted in framework structureindicated generally at 62 supported on the swingable loader section 10.For simplicity, curtain portion reeling drum 38 is illustrated in FIGURE5 in detached but proper functional position relative to drum 36 inFIGURE 4. In FIGURES 4 and 5, the grooved cones 42 and 46 of FIG- URE 3have been replaced by the specific spiral pulleys, indicated generallyat 63 and 64, respectively, covered by copending application Ser. No.486,659. Bushings 65 support the pulleys on the bearings 60 in spacedrelation above the bearings and disks 66 mounted on drums 36 and 38support the convolutions of curtain portions 22 and 24. Shaft 56, theassociated drum 36 or 38 and the associated spiral pulley 63 or 64 arerigidly connected together for rotation as a unit. FIGURE 6 is a viewtaken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4, but it will be evident that, inrespect to the showing of FIGURE 5, the companion spiral pulley 64 wouldbe a duplicate of that shown in FIGURES 4 and 6 but inverted in positionrelative to the drum 38.

FIGURE 6 shows at 68 a bolt for anchoring the free end of cable 48 whichthen encircles spiral pulley 63 in a counterclockwise direction and withthe curtains in the position shown in FIGURE 2 leaves spiral pulley 63substantially at a midpoint in a path lying in a substantiallyhorizontal plane and in a direction for reeling on spiral pulley 64after passing idler pulley 50. Six bolt openings 70 pass entirelythrough each spiral pulley 63 and 64 and correspondingly located tappedbolt openings 72 (see FIGURE 5) are supplied in the base plate 74 ofeach curtain portion drum 36 and 38. Bolts such as bolt 76 pass throughthe bolt holes 70 and are threadedly received in tapped openings 72.Obviously this makes it possible to locate each spiral pulley 64 and 66in six different positions relative to its associated curtain portionreeling drum. This is important as shown in FIGURE 7.

In order to have the winding operation of the two curtain portions inphase so that the loader can swing to its extreme positions without theneed of supplying excess curtain, the necessary length of cable iscalculated and two marking tapes 78 and 80 are spaced equally from themidpoint of the cable length. With the loader in the position shown inFIGURE 2 and the cable spirally wound on each of the spiral pulleys butwith the spiral pulleys not anchored relative to their associatedcurtain drums, tapes 78 are located equidistant from the axes 82 and 84,respectively, of the spiral pulleys (and curtain drums). With thispositioning achieved, bolts 76 are threaded into the nearest tappedopenings 72 and the curtain portion reeling drums are thereby properlyphased. For still more accurate positioning of tapes 78 and 80, therelative distance of one curtain portion reeling drum supportingframework 62 from the longitudinal axis of the loader section 10 can beadjusted.

The specific construction of each pulley 63 and 64 is better illustratedin FIGURES 8, 9 and 10. A base plate and a cover plate 112 haveextending between them and in the assembled device welded to each ofthem a shaft receiving bushing 114. Sandwiched in between base plate 110and cover plate 112 and concentrically supported on bushing 114 are aseries of relatively smaller diameter heavy metal plates and largerdiameter light metal plates of generally circular configuration, Theheavy plates are numbered from the bottom in FIG- URES 8 to 10,inclusive, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126 and 128. The light plates arenumbered consecutively from the bottom in these figures, 130, 132, 134,136, 138

and 140. As best shown in the exploded view of FIGURE 10, base plate 110has a ramp member 142 welded to it and each of light plate numbers 130,132, 134, 136 and 138 has -a cut-out and bend-up tongue 144, 146, 148,150 and 152, respectively, which act as ramps in the assembled spiralpulley. It will be apparent that in the assembled spiral pulley thecable will ride on the peripheral surfaces of the heavy plates with theoutwardly extending marginal portions of the light plates acting asguiding flanges to constrain the cable Winding action to the circularperipheral surfaces of each heavy plate until the cable comes to a rampmember. Each ramp member guides the cable to the next smaller diameterheavy plate. At the points where the cable passes from each heavy plateto the next by virtue of a ramp, the heavy plate is rounded as at 160 tominimize the bending action of the cable at this point. .Uppermost edge162 of each tongue member is welded at 164 to the cut edge 163 of thenext higher light plate.

A dowel pin 150 passes through cover plate 112, base plate 110 and allof the intermediate plates to insure rigidity of the completedstructure. For purposes of simplicity the openings for dowel pin 150 andbolt holes 70 are omitted from exploded FIGURE 10.

It will be apparent that in operation the spiral pulley of Figures 6, 8,9 and 10 does not present a true spiral path as in the case of thespiral grooves on truncated cones 42 and 46 of FIGURE 2. In beingconstrained to follow the path presented by the spiral pulley from cableconnector 68 counterclockwise around the pulley, the cable will follow acircular path until it comes to a rampmember at which point the cablewill in a very short distance be diverted into a new circular path andso on. As mentioned above, the cable tensioning means of the presentinvention has especial advantage in adapting this form of spiral pulleyto the combination of the present invention by ironing out thesedepartures from the true spiral path ideally possible but economicallyand mechanically less suitable.

Incidentally, it will be noted that the largest heavy plates 116 and 118are of the same diameter to permit only a fraction of heavy plate 116 tobe used when adjusting the relative positions of the spiral pulleys.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my inevntion,I claim as my invention:

1. In a conveyance loader the combination comprising:

(a) first passageway means having an upright sidewall means on each sideof the passageway, each sidewall means terminating in an end edgeportion at one end of the first passageway means.

(b) second passageway means having an upright sidewall means on eachside of the passageway, each sidewall means terminating in an end edgeportion at one end of the second passageway means.

(c) transition vestibule means located between the said ends of thefirst and second passageway means and connected thereto to form with thepassageways of the first and second passageway means a continuouspassageway.

(d) floor means and roof means forming part of the transition vestibulehaving peripheral portions of circular arc configuration concentricallydisposed about an upright axis,

(e) first and second curtain sections each having longitudinal side edgeportions and end edge portions, each curtain section being flexiblealong its longitudinal dimension and rigid across its transversedimension, the first and second curtain sections extending between thefloor means and roof means of the transition vestibule with the sideedge portions held by the circular arc peripheral portions of the floormeans and roof means to form sidewalls for the transition vestibule.

(f) means connecting one end edge portion of the first curtain sectionto an end edge portion of the sidewall means of a passageway means onone side of the passageway and means connecting one end edge portion ofthe second curtain section to an end edge portion of the sidewall meansof a passageway means on one side of the passageway and means connectingone end edge portion of the sec-0nd curtain section to an end edgeportion of the sidewall means of a passageway means on the other side ofthe passageway,

(g) a first curtain reeling drum contiguous to the end edge portion ofthe passageway means sidewall located on said one side of the passagewayto which a curtain section is not connected,

(h) a second curtain reeling drum contiguous to the end edge portion ofthe passageway means sidewall located on said other side of thepassageway to which a curtain section is not connected,

(i) means connecting the other end edge portion of the first curtainsection in reeling relation to one curtain reeling drum located on thesame side of the passageway as said one end edge portion of the firstcurtain section and means connecting the other end edge portion of thesecond curtain section in reeling relation to the other curtain reelingdrum located on the same side of the passageway as said one end edgeportion of the second curtain section,

(j) means for swinging one passageway means horizontally around theupright axis of the transition vestibule thereby unreeling a length ofcurtain section from one curtain-reeling drum and presenting an equallength of curtain section for reeling on the other curtain-reeling drum,

(k) first rotatable means operatively connected to rotate with the firstcurtain-reeling drum,

(1) second rotatable means operatively connected to rotate with thesecond curtain-reeling drum,

(rn) continuous, substantially inextensible, flexible tension meanshaving one end portion connected in reeling relation to the firstrotatable means and the other end portion connected in reeling relationto the second rotatable means and an intermediate portion extendingbetween the first and second rotatable means,

(n) means associated with the means of paragraph (k) for reeling andsubsequent unreeling of the inflexible tension means at a linear rate tocause simultaneous unreeling and subsequent, simultaneous reeling of thefirst curtain section oh? and on the first reeling drum at said linearrate,

(0) means associated with the means of paragraph (1) for unreeling andsubsequent reeling of the inflexible tension means at said linear rateto cause simultaneous reeling and subsequent, simultaneous unreeling ofthe second curtain section on and off the second reeling drum at saidlinear rate, and

(p) means for controlling the length of the intermediate portion of theinextensible, flexible tension means to maintain substantially equal andconstant tension on both curtain sections throughout the reeling andunreeling operation while insuring smooth curtain reeling and unreelingoperation despite slight departures from ideal structural relationshipsin the operating parts.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the means of paragraphs (m) and(n) comprise first substantially spiral reeling means associated withthe first rotatable means for reeling and unreeling the inextensible,flexible tension means and second substantially spiral reeling meansassociated with the second rotatable means for unreeling and reeling theinextensible, flexible tension means, the two substantially spiralreeling means being of substantially complementary but opposedconfiguration and having a degree of spirality to cause the curtainsection being reeled on one curtain-reeling drum to be reeled atsubstantially the same linear curtain speed as the other curtain sectionis simultaneously unreeled from the other curtain-reeling drum.

3. The combination of claim 1 in which the intermediate portion of theinextensible, flexible tension means tends to follow a straight linepath between the first and second rotatable means and in which a forcelaterally disposed relative to the path of travel of the inextensible,flexible tension means is exerted on the intermediate portion of theinextensible, flexible tension means to divert the same from thestraight line path to thereby apply a desired tensioning force to thecurtain sections.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which the intermediate portion of theinextensible, flexible tension means is deflected from the straight linepath between the first and second rotatable means by the resilientaction of a spring.

5. The combination of claim 2 in which the intermediate portion of theinextensible, flexible tension means tends to follow a straight linepath between the first and second rotatable means and in which a forcelaterally disposed relative to the path of travel of the inextensible,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 520,065 5/1894 Lugrin 160-122851,945 4/ 1907 Krehbiel 1058 X 2,163,826 6/1939 Bugatti 105-153,060,471 10/1962 Der Yuen et a1 14'7l FOREIGN PATENTS 434,856 12/1911France.

PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner.

